Picture Perfect
by PinkCollins
Summary: Serena & Edward, oneshot


**A/N 1 - I started writing this 3am Saturday Morning (so Sunday really) after waking up for no real reason. **

**A/N 2 - I probably should of saved posting this until October, but seeing as I will doing too the writing up/editing etc I decided I might as well post it.**

**Let me know what you think - but only if you want to that is :) **

* * *

Picture Perfect

Her first Halloween without her daughter home, her first Halloween where she found herself not working, home alone and looking forward to a rare day off tomorrow a day off that she would be spending with her mother building some broken bridges. With the lights dimmed throughout the house, Serena found herself sat on her living-room floor, with a bottle of wine and fleece throw around her. She hated Halloween, thought it was trivial an American holiday that made its way into British society, and now it was just over commercialised rubbish. Serena had always tried her best to keep Eleanor away from the event, she never understood why any parent would let their child knock on strangers doors and ask for sweets, and Edward on the other hand was always more relaxed, much to Serena's protests.

Ignoring ever knock the came to her door, trying to blank out the screeches from children, Serena devoured herself to her wine, and had the smooth sounds of Magic FM playing quietly in the background. She closed her self in, Edward had made light jokes towards her all day, knowing of her hatred to Halloween, and he had many attempts at "spooking" her.

She had no idea what he hoped to achieve by doing so, yet what had happened was that a bunch of memories became re-awoken, from a time where Serena would say she had the world at her feet. At Harvard University, Serena found herself mixing with a different crowd, she found herself with the Elite. Yet Edward although in his mid thirties still acting like a young bright bushy-tailed guy, he embraced American culture. Halloween was one the first big social events in the Harvard term calendar, a night in that he took Serena to a party, a party that brought the pair together, only physically a relationship was not on the cards for either of them. The life they lived whilst studying at Harvard was hardly conventional, they were world's part in personality, yet shared a drive for success and somehow the physical intimacy they encountered with one another became a bond that brought them back together when they both ended up at Kings Hospital in 1994. Although Serena had found herself in a brief relationship with a guy she worked with, Edward soon became her physical muse once more.

Serena thought it funny how one date in the calendar could trigger so much, that said she concluded she probably wouldn't be thinking this had Edward not been working in Holby, or had spent relentless time trying to win her over. Pouring herself her second glass of Wine, Serena found herself smiling, she had to admit she really did have some fantastic times with Edward, the two years at Harvard and their relationship and then marriage between 1994 till 1999 provided many perfect memories ones that clearly stuck in her mind like a photograph. For years these memories had became clouded with bitterness, a bitterness which stemmed from Edward's lack of ability to remain faithful, an act Serena found herself blinded too until she caught him with her own eyes. However, that sourness and hurt faded in time she got over his betrayal, and now she could say she had forgiven but not forgotten, of course she would never let on that is how she felt. Yet somehow, today, tonight in her loneliness she was almost willing to forget, just for the sake of savouring happier times, each sip of wine made each memory clearer.

It did not help that Edward had got under her skin lately, today proving pivotal with her feelings. He was a good man, despite his flaws he was all she could ever ask for. Charming, reasonably candid, good-looking and went wherever the wind took him to work, she admired his ability to breeze through life, yet remain in control and desire to achieve more. Edward was more her match than she ever cared to realise. Even in the here and now, he was still all those things; he was the thorn in her side.

Time passed by, quicker than Serena realised when she poured herself the final contents of the wine into her glass, sighing she reached out for her mobile that lay on the coffee table, looking at the time, it had just gone half past midnight. Her thoughts had clearly been dominating her mind, she were oblivious to the fact that she had sat on her floor for four hours and the streets near her home were quite, every child tucked up in bed. Serena felt no desire to move from her spot, warm and relaxed, but loneliness started to linger. She missed Edward, she spent most of her life missing him, it was just that she never allowed herself to feel it, not truly.

Serena wondered if he ever thought of her over the years, wondered if he regretted what he did, and wished he could turn back the clock. What if his recent behaviour around her actually meant something and it was not just a ploy to make working together easier. Either way whatever he had done had caused Serena, constantly finding Edward in her thoughts. Having spent weeks working in such close proximity it felt do easy to recall the love they shared, it came natural, be it unintentionally or not and what made everything seem more confusing was that she could feel her love for him simmering away.

Tonight, the wine did not help, Serena only used the wine as a distracting tactic to avoid Halloween dross, yet instead it turned out as so much more than a distracting tactic. Still holding her phone in her hand, Serena had a lingering thought in her mind, maybe just one night together would not hurt, a drunken fling on her part, just for old times' sake. It was clearly what they needed, just to get it out-of-the-way and bury old tensions. Of course, Serena knew it would be wrong, after all, she had drunk a lot of wine, but she needed to have that skin on skin feeling, and it could not be with just anyone. It could only be Edward.

It took her another ten minutes and the last few drops of her wine for Serena to make her decision, a decision, which she believed, would be the right one. Calling his number, she anticipated his answer and it happened sooner than she thought.

'Serena...' Edward answered who was very much awake and he had drunk a few Whiskeys.

'Hi...'

'You okay?'

'Yeah. You awake?'

Edward grinned 'Well _yes_, unless you are in a dream'

'That's not what _I_ meant'

'I am just messing. I have not even thought of going to sleep yet, rowdy night clubbers out having fun' Edward replied, very truthfully. Like Serena he had taken to drinking to distract from the partying students out having fun - this was the downside to living in a flat in the town centre by all the clubbing hotspots. It was a first for Edward as he would usually be out with them, or his young Holby colleagues, but tonight he did not fancy it.

'I know the feeling...'

'It has just gone one am, what's up?'

'Nothing'

'Have you been drinking?' He asked, knowing that she had, he could tell by the sound of her voice

'Have _you_?'

'I asked first'

'I've had a few glasses of wine'

Edward could sense a few probably meant a bottle 'Well I have had a couple of Whiskeys'

'Good'

'Glad we have established that'

'You _alone_?'

'Of _course_, Are you?'

'Hmm' Serena sighed 'Do you want to come over?'

'That's not a good idea'

'Oh come on Edward, don't be so boring'

'You'd kick my ass if I suggested that we should socialise, especially _drunk_'

'No, I wouldn't'

'You're forgetting, I know you'

'Oh, Edward, just come over, we won't hurt anyone...'

'But ourselves' Edward pointed out

'That is not the point. Bring a bottle or two on your way'

'... Serena...'

'Don't be too long' Serena hung up, leaving Edward feeling almost compelled to do as Serena wished.

Ii - ~~ - iI

Forty-five minutes later, Edward turned up at Serena's door, clutching a plastic bag with the purchases he made in the late night off-licence in the street round the corner from where Serena lived. Ringing the doorbell, Edward waited for Serena, who soon enough came to the door, with a glint in her eye.

'You took your time'

'I had to go to the offy' Edward held up the bag and entering her home 'A lot of drunk stragglers, decided to pick up the first things I could get my hands on'

Closing the front door, she took the bag, 'Four cans of Carling and Blossom Hill California, you could have _tried_ harder'

'I didn't have a chance' Edward sighed 'You sounded impatient'

'Hmmm, it is nasty stuff, but it will do, go through to the living-room'

Edward nodded and did so, he smiled as he saw the small-cocooned area Serena had created for herself on the floor, he found it rather endearing, and he sat himself in a spot next to where Serena had made this cosy area. She returned moments later with an extra glass.

'Thought you might need this' She handed him the glass and sunk down into her space beside him, opening up the Rosé wine and pouring it into the two glasses.

'Thanks' Edward smiled 'Mixing our drinks, it's gonna be costly'

'Ah you have to take full responsibility for this, as you brought the stuff'

'Fair enough'

'How come you're not pissed' Edward asked noting the empty wine bottle and Serena's ability to seem almost sober as she started drinking the wine she described as nasty, rather quickly.

'Being tragically single I ordered a takeaway pizza earlier... '

'Ah, almost like we were both onto something... It's how I've not completely passed out'

'You could never _really_ handle your drink' Serena teased

'That's because I don't drink like a fish like you do'

'I do _not_ drink like a fish, I can just handle alcohol better than you' Serena tapped his chest, with a smile on her face.

'Ah, you are pissed, and you're just hiding it'

'So what if I am'

'It's dangerous ground, you and I'

'Hmmm, it was the original attraction'

'Was it?'

'Yes, you're bad for me'

'Is that so?' Edward smiled his eyes gleaming as they watched Serena

'You know it is' Serena replied biting her lip

'I didn't deserved you' Edward whispered as he squirmed taking his first sip of the wine 'Christ, it is nasty' putting it aside, he scrambled in the plastic bag and pulled out the pack of Carling, breaking two cans free.

Serena smiled, placing her wine glass on the table and taking one of the cans 'Cheers'

Edward nodded and opened up his can of Carling, 'Do you remember that time up in the Lake District?'

'Under the stars drinking cheep larger, like a pair of teenagers'

'I felt like the _luckiest_ guy alive'

'The day you first said you loved me'

Edward smiled fondly, he had planed that weekend away, in an attempt to turn their physical relationship into a loving one, not something he would do for anyone, yet Serena seemed to change all that for him, in the early days he worshipped the ground she walked upon. In recent months, he realised the cost of his mistakes. Serena still managed to have a hold on him; he would even go as far to say that he found her more attractive now, than he did when he first met her over twenty years ago.

He had often thought about Serena and the life they could have had with their daughter. However he always concluded that despite the admiration and love they had for each other, it really was lucky to have lasted as long as it did, he got away with being unintentionally unfaithful one too many times, even he felt relieved to have gotten caught. Despite asking Serena to marry him and thinking that love would be enough, Edward never believed in monogamy.

'Why did you call me over?' He asked

'I just needed you here'

'Ominous'

'Why did you come?'

'Because it's_ you_'

'Edward, I can't _stop_ thinking about you'

'You're drunk, you don't know what you are saying' Edward smiled taking the can of Carling from her.

'I'm serious. Do you ever think of me?'

'_All_ the time'

'I miss you' Serena edged herself closer to Edward.

'Serena' Edward sighed his hand finding a natural placement on his ex-wife's waist

'I _need_ you Edward.. .'

'That is the drink talking'

'Shhhh' Serena placed a finger to Edward's lips

'Am I your bootycall?' Edward smirked, he knew when she invited him over that it was would be far from a casual chat with alcohol, there were hidden agendas

'I recall being yours?' Serena grinned, referring to their times at Harvard.

'Serena, I really wouldn't want to take advantage... You know if circumstances were different, I would, but ...'

'But...' Serena lingered by his face, suggestively smiling, knowing he would not be able to resist if she played it out long enough 'Just _one_ night, all I ask'

Edward placed his forehead onto hers, as they looked into each other's eyes 'I don't want to hurt you again'

'I don't care; you would not be here if you didn't want this'

Knowing he could not hold out any longer, Edward pressed his lips into Serena, as they started ferociously kissing, and in flash, they both back to that Halloween night in October 1990, where it had all begun for them both. Unable to resist each other's bodies, with alcohol-fuelled minds, they tore each other's clothes off, not a care in the world for anything but their greed to have each other, a need that stood greater than breathing itself. A torrid passionate encounter, eclipsing reality, Serena and Edward were reliving a moment that felt of old times, twenty-three years down the line from their first time, it felt as good as it did back then.


End file.
